


Painted By Numbers

by StyloBoho



Category: Rick and Morty
Genre: Alternate Universe, Dark, Drugs, Implied/Referenced Underage, Light Bondage, M/M, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Harm, Self-cest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-27
Updated: 2016-01-28
Packaged: 2018-05-16 15:13:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5830381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StyloBoho/pseuds/StyloBoho
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the event with Evil Rick, Morty is having a tough time coming to terms with his purpose in life - if there even is one.</p>
<p>At Rick and Summer's party, he meets someone who wants to help Morty. For a price of course.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is going to get dark. I'm going to add more triggering tags later as it progresses. If anything does stand out that I haven't tagged, please let me know. Rating will go up when necessary. Also, Greaser Morty is two years older (16).

“You can’t throw a party because I’m throwing a party BIIIIIIII-EUGH-TCHHHH!”

 

Rick and Summer banter back and forth about their upcoming endeavor while Morty blankly looks at them. He thought about interjecting, briefly, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. This is how it’s been since finding out he was Rick’s camouflage, apathetic. Whatever his sister and grandfather do at this point hardly concerns him; if Rick needs him on adventures, he won’t risk pissing off Beth. He’s fourteen, it’s out of his hands.

 

Morty watches as they aggressively agree to their joint party, Rick finishes his, whatever it is, and Summer bribes (blackmails) more friends into bringing drinks. Silently, he turns on his heel and ascends the steps to his room, shutting the door behind him and sighing deeply.

 

“Fuck,” he whispers, running his hands down his face.

 

It’s going to be a long night.

 

-

 

The party is a little bigger than he envisioned and while Morty tells himself he doesn’t care, he still finds himself walking around with a garbage bag. It is his house after all. He walks past classmates and aliens that seemingly have zero qualms with each other as he picks up random red solo cups.

 

His only interaction so far with Rick was when the man tried to divert his attention to the redhead that has been his object of affection for quite some time. He shrugs Rick’s hand from his shoulder with a quiet “Knock it off, Rick” and goes back to picking up trash. When Rick’s experiment bursts through the dining room wall, he drops the bag. He barely registers the fight as Brad punches the newcomer and Jessica stomps off, heading for the front door.

 

“M-morty! Go after her! Come-come on I just did you a solid!”

 

Morty faces Rick, his grandfather swaying, making his drink slosh around the red solo cup. He’s furious. Did him a solid? Rick has done nothing but cause chaos in Morty’s life ever since he walked through their door. He knows now that Rick didn’t come here to rekindle his relationship with Beth. He just needed an easier way to travel through space without being noticed. He just wanted to use Morty.

 

He looks at the front door. In another life, what would Morty have done?

 

“Fuck off, Rick,” he says, walking away from the older man.

 

-

 

After the outburst with Abradolf Lincler and giving Rick the cold shoulder, Morty doesn’t follow Jessica outside. Instead, he heads back upstairs to his room. The night is too trying for him and all Morty wants to do is forget about the carnage downstairs. No more adventures almost seems like a dream at this point, screw Rick. He’s so lost in thought that he misses the way a figure slips in behind him and shuts thedoor quietly. When he turns around to shut it himself, he finds himself face to face with…..well…..him.

 

He may have been a carbon copy of him at some point, but this Morty feels and looks different, older, if the way he stands a foot taller than him is anything to go on. His hair is slicked back, he wears a black leather jacket, ripped jeans, and he isn’t sure, but Morty can’t tell if his eyes are naturally sullen or if they are highlighted with black eyeliner. Not to mention the smirk adorning his face is inherently NOT Morty. He smells of smoke and some sort of deep cologne that makes Morty shiver as he inhales. It’s not him, but fuck does he wish it was.

 

The other Morty smiles widely and Morty can’t help but wonder if the way he looks at him is any different than a hunter with it’s prey. He wants to take a step back, but he is frozen to the spot. He has seen hundreds of Mortys but this one is so much different. Dangerous. He’s drawn and he can’t look away.

 

“Morty,” his older self whispers. His voice is laced with confidence as he steps forward, successfully forcing Morty to stumble backwards almost landing on his ass. An arm darts out and wraps around him, pulling Morty close to the older boy’s chest. He chuckles deeply, as if reminiscing of his own gangly clumsiness. Morty blushes. The close proximity is doing a number on the kid’s head, but he can’t bring himself to let go of the black leather sleeves and the other isn’t exactly letting go of him either.

 

“Oh Morty,” he feels a hand grip the back of his shirt tightly.

 

“We have so much to talk about.”


	2. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morty can practically feel Mort grin into his ear, it seems to be his default expression. He nuzzles Morty’s shoulder and hums.  
> “Don’t worry about how, do you want my help or not?”

 

The older Morty looks down at his younger counterpart. The dumbfounded expression on Morty’s face makes the other chuckle.

 

“Ok, um, M-Morty?” He finally replies. Saying his own name feels awkward and the older teen picks up on it right away.

 

“Let’s make this easy,” he says. With his free hand, he gestures to himself.

 

“Call me Mort.”

 

Then his hand is caressing Morty’s cheek.

 

“And you can continue to just be you, Morty.”

 

Morty’s face heats up. He isn’t sure of Mort’s intention but they seem more than friendly. Slowly, he frees himself from Mort’s hold and backs away until he is safely in his own personal bubble again. The other version of him just smirks as he crosses his arms, finally eyeballing Morty fully since he entered the room.

 

“W-what do we need to-need to talk about?” He asks innocently. Mort’s attention is back to Morty’s face.

 

“I know all about your last adventure,” he says. “I know what it’s doing to you, Morty.”

 

Morty looks down at his feet. Suddenly all of his disgust for Rick is rearing it’s ugly face back into his head along with the thoughts of hate for the older man and himself. The shock of seeing the new Morty is slowly wearing off as he realizes why he came back upstairs in the first place.

 

“I-I just want to-to forget about it,” he responds. And it’s true. While the idea of drowning himself in the abundance of alcohol downstairs seems enticing, he can’t bring himself to go back down there. Not to mention the smell of alcohol just reminds him of Rick anyways. He’s lost in his own musings that he doesn’t see Mort reach into his back pocket and pull out a small bag of weed.

 

“I can help with that.”

 

-

 

He doesn’t know how much longer it’s been, but Morty feels like he is on Cloud Nine. Granted he has never smoked weed before in his life, it never struck his fancy. But here he was, high as a kite, with an older, albeit more attractive version of himself. Inhibitions gone, he can finally admit how alluring Mort is to him. Guys were never on his radar before, but his high mind supplies him with an excuse that maybe it doesn’t count when it’s him.

 

They are lounging on the bed, the party downstairs all but forgotten, as they are seated on each end. Their legs meet and tangle in the middle. Morty swears he asks Mort about his life, but the other doesn’t answer any questions, just keeps insisting that Morty needs more weed.

 

“Keep smoking, Morty,” he expertly inhales from the pipe. “You’re not high enough.”

 

And while Morty would argue that he is preeeeetty high, he agrees that he is indeed not high enough. The image of Rick and the many Mortys being tortured are still seared into his mind. He slowly raises his hands to meet his heavy head, the images swirling together, making the bitter taste on his tongue almost unbearable.

 

He whispers, “I’ll never be high enough.”

 

Mort passes the pipe.

 

-

 

Rick hasn’t seen Morty in awhile. Normally he wouldn’t care, but right now he could definitely use a distraction and seeing as Birdperson’s attention is diverted to the hot high school senior’s ass on his lap, Rick was left with little options. And he is not about to sit through another history lesson about the Gear Wars.

 

First he checks with Jessica. Considering the argument she is having with Brad, he figures Morty struck out on his chance with her. He checks the garage and really wishes he hadn’t as the telltale signs of Squanchy squanching radiated from the cabinet in the corner. He mentally tells himself he’ll bleach the place, knowing he’ll just forget about it later anyways. Every room on the first level show up fruitless as Morty was not to be found.

 

The second floor doesn’t seem to be promising either. The kid seems to have disappeared altogether, which is a little troubling to Rick. He feels more exposed when Morty isn’t near despite the fact he made the house a safe haven for himself; he doesn’t need Morty around to be hidden here. He made sure of that when his parents insisted on Morty going to school everyday. Stationary places were easy to cloak in small intervals, but it still unnerved Rick. The kid didn’t have friends much less anywhere to go. So why can’t he find him?

 

When Rick found himself in front of Morty’s door, he was greeted with the unmistakable scent of cannabis. He smirks to himself, hoping Morty was in his room and finally enjoying the night’s festivities. He knocks on the door rapidly.

 

“Mo-EUGH-OOrty! Are you in there you-you little punk ass bitch?” He takes a large gulp from his drink as he hears scuffling on the other side of the door. He is greeted by Morty’s voice.

 

“Y-yeah Rick. Jus-just go away!”

 

Rick, a little peeved by Morty’s dismissal (and not getting in on some of that damn weed), is a little relieved but is sure not to let it show as he yells back at Morty for something or another (he’s not sure at this point) and is about to leave.

 

But then he hears a muffled male voice talking to Morty.

 

It would certainly explain why Morty has weed, but not much more. Morty shouldn’t know anyone that Rick hasn’t already encountered on his earlier mission to find the boy. He searches his inebriated brain for anyone else he was missing.

 

He’s about to demand answers from Morty, when he hears a high pitched scream come from downstairs. He rolls his eyes and heads down to the living room.

 

He’ll let it go. For now.

 

-

 

Morty is suddenly sober after Rick rudely interrupts their session. He’s standing in front of the door defensively, just in case Rick decided to enter the room.

 

They were talking about nothing, Mort indulging Morty’s drug addled mind. Morty was finally able to let go, to forget about the horrors in his mind. The man downstairs and his twisted adventures. But Rick’s voice alone was able to pull him out of his high, and he felt numb again.

 

His heart is pounding and he barely registers Mort behind him until he feels arms snake around his middle, pulling him flush against the older teen. Mort is incredibly affectionate towards him, as he was lazily stroking Morty’s leg before the younger teen jumped off the bed. Morty isn’t sure how he is supposed to respond so he just stands stock still as he feels Mort’s breath on his ear.

 

“What if I told you I could make you completely forget him, Morty.”

 

Morty is surprised, still, at how any trace of unease is vacant from Mort’s tone; if this version of him had any stutter before, it was long gone now and he hopes that maybe one day his will fade as well.

 

“H-how?”

 

Morty can practically feel Mort grin into his ear, it seems to be his default expression. He nuzzles Morty’s shoulder and hums.

 

“Don’t worry about how, do you want my help or not?”


	3. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Is that what you see, Morty? If the tables were turned, do you really think you wouldn’t find yourself in the same position?”
> 
> Morty freezes and looks back at the humanoid, unsure of how to respond.
> 
> “I’m not Rick,” he snaps, violently throwing the cup in his hand into the trash.
> 
> “And-and I would never be in his position.”

The scream from downstairs is Summer and one look out the window and Rick knows why. While they are definitely not on Earth, he knows the atmosphere is breathable and won’t kill the party just yet. To illustrate his point, a kid from Morty’s math class tears off his shirt and hoots and hollers as he disappears outside and into an alien.

 

It’s certainly not the wildest party Rick has thrown, but the teens and assortment of extraterrestrial beings seem to be enjoying themselves thoroughly, so he isn’t going to complain too much.

 

The events downstairs are enough to make him forget about Morty and his mysterious friend for the time being.

 

-

 

Morty isn’t sure how to respond.

 

Mort chuckles deeply into his shoulder and slowly detaches himself from the younger boy.

 

“It’s alright, Morty,” he says, turning the boy to look at him. “You don’t need to have an answer right now.”

 

Morty lets go of the breath he didn’t know he was holding and nods. He’s sure his hostile feelings for Rick will subside, they normally do. He doesn’t want to hastily accept Mort’s offer especially when he can still feel the lingering effects of the marijuana.

 

“But until you make your decision,” Mort continues.

 

“Have a little something on me.”

 

He sticks something in Morty’s pocket. Morty assumes it’s probably just the weed they were smoking earlier and if he were totally honesty, it’s a bit of a relief. He never saw himself as a stoner, but something to take the edge of every now and then couldn’t be that bad. It isn’t any different than Beth’s wine or Rick’s scotch. He smiles up at Mort and he is surprised to see a genuine smile returned.

 

“I’ll be back to check on you in a few days,” Mort says.

 

“You can let me know your answer then.”

 

Morty panics and he grabs for Mort’s jacket.

 

“Are you leaving al-already?” He asks, knowing that if the teen left now, he would have to deal with Rick and the party. Mort threads his fingers in Morty’s hair and looks out the window. The vibrant colors of the alien planet are a sharp contrast to Earth’s usually dull palette. He hears Morty gasp and he looks back down at the boy.

 

“I can stay for a bit. Not like we are going anywhere.”

 

-

 

Rick is having a good time. He played beer pong with a couple of Ricks from the council (and totally kicked ass by the way). Convinced a few teens to pay him to watch Squanchy (he is still not surprised by how dumb jocks are). Hell, he even played Summer’s wingman for a bit (until she yelled at him for belching in her ear).

 

But now Rick is bored and sobering up. He looks around for Morty when he realizes the little shit is still upstairs.

 

He doesn’t know why he even cares. If anything, he should be proud that the kid is finally growing some balls. But the situation doesn’t feel right and Rick is smart enough to know when something is amiss.

 

-

 

Morty doesn’t know if he will ever get over the affectionate version of himself. His demeanor would suggest that the teen would be anything but, and yet here he was sitting next to him on the bed with his arm slung over his shoulder.

 

Mort insists on Morty recalling his adventures with Rick. Oddly enough, he doesn’t offer any experiences of his own and it makes Morty wonder if their universes are even similar at all.

 

“Do-do you have a Ri-rick?” He finally asks. Mort stiffens next to him and Morty hopes he didn’t strike a nerve. He really likes this version of him and he doesn’t want to offend the older teen, but he can’t help but wonder what his intentions are. Why would this Morty come here to see him? Mort pulls him closer.

 

“Don’t worry about it.”

 

-

 

Rick is starting to get pissed. Coming down from the collaxian crystals is a bitch. He convinced Abradolf Lincler and Summer’s random friend to retrieve some for him but now that he is out, he is forced back to reality. He tries to convince himself that he couldn’t give two fucks about Morty or what he does, but it doesn’t stop him from being angry that the kid is hiding something. The kid could keep his secrets, just not from him.

 

He stomps up the stairs and heads for Morty’s room, pounding on the door.

 

“M-morty you little shit! Ge-ge-EUGH-t out here!”

 

-

 

Morty jumps when he hears Rick’s angry knocking. He isn’t sure why the man is persistent tonight, normally he seems relieved when Morty isn’t annoying him.

 

He turns to Mort who is just staring at the door blankly until he slowly turns to Morty.

 

“That’s my cue, I have to get going.”

 

Morty just nods, his right hand rubbing at his left elbow and eyes downcast. He was starting to relax when Rick decided to kill his vibe, again. Mort pinches his chin with his thumb and index finger making Morty look up at him.

 

“I’ll be back, don’t worry.”

 

“MOOOORTY!”

 

Morty nods again, ignoring Rick’s yells. He sees a glint in Mort’s eyes and he wonders for a brief moment if the teen is slowly leaning forward or if it is his imagination. Instead, Mort runs his hand through Morty’s hair and turns back toward the door, indicating to Morty that he should finally face Rick.

 

Before Rick can destroy the door, Morty opens it

 

“Where-who the hell was in-was with you, Morty?”

 

Morty looks behind him, expecting to see his companion right where he left him, but the room is empty.

 

“Um, n-no one?”

 

Rick stares at him for a second before he huffs.

 

“Losing your me-memory after one smoking session? You’re a reeeeeeeeeaaaaallll badass there, Morty.”

 

Morty looks down at his feet unable to meet his grandfather’s eyes.

 

“Wh-whatever Rick. I’m not the one who-who teleported the house to an alien planet. Can we just-just go back home?”

 

There’s a long silence until Morty hears a confirmation in the form of a ‘hmmmph’. He follows Rick downstairs and watches as their surroundings go back to normal as the scientist returns the house back to Earth.

 

The party-goers file out of the house leaving the Smith kids and their grandfather with the wrecked house. Summer broods about being called out on being a shitty friend and still not obtaining popularity while Rick comes to terms with his sobriety. This leaves Morty with the majority of the cleaning. He’s so pissed off as he throws red solo cup after red solo cup into the trash.

 

He thinks over Mort’s proposition and how enticing it seems in this moment.

 

Morty is about to pick up a piece of trash when he sees an odd feathered hand swoop down and snatch it instead. He looks up to see Birdperson cooly assessing Morty.

 

“May I assist you?”

 

Morty shrugs, “Yeah sure, whatever.”

 

Birdperson hands more garbage to Morty before speaking up again.

 

“Morty, do you know what “wubba lubba dub dub” means?”

 

Morty rolls his eyes.

 

“Uh, that’s just Rick’s stupid nonsense catchphrase.”

 

Bird person looks on as Morty continues cleaning.

 

“It’s not nonsense at all. In my people’s tongue it means, “I am in great pain, please help me.””

 

Morty isn’t sure where this is going.

 

“Well, I got news for you. He’s saying it ironically.”

 

But Birdperson is persistent.

 

“No, Morty, your Grandfather is indeed in very deep pain. That is why he must numb himself.”

 

Morty looks up at that.

 

“Come on, Birdperson. Rick’s not that complicated. He’s just a huge asshole.”

 

“Is that what you see, Morty? If the tables were turned, do you really think you wouldn’t find yourself in the same position?”

 

Morty freezes and looks back at the humanoid, unsure of how to respond.

 

“I’m not Rick,” he snaps, violently throwing the cup in his hand into the trash.

 

“And-and I would never be in his position.”

 

Birdperson tilts his head.

 

“I understand. My people have another saying, “gubba nub nub doo rah kah.” It means, “whatever lets you sleep at night.””

 

-

 

Rick is able to freeze time right before Beth and Jerry make it to the door. They spend their time cleaning and even had a little fun carving pumpkins and trashing Jerry’s taste in movies. Though Morty finds himself participating, he isn’t fully enjoying himself as his sister and grandfather are. Rick eyes his suspiciously, but Morty couldn’t bring himself to care.

 

After Morty, Summer, and Rick call it a day (considering they are stuck in time, it’s in name only) Morty heads up to his room. The semi cleanup has left him exhausted and he just wants to sleep. It’s then he remembers the weed.

 

He reaches into his pocket expecting to see the cannabis that Mort left with him.

 

Instead he sees a single white pill.


End file.
